KINGSTON, N.Y. >> Work could begin within the next few weeks to remove grout that has been plugging the Washington Avenue sewer tunnel since a sinkhole there was repaired, the city engineer said.

Ralph Swenson said an agreement has been signed and a health and safety plan approved for the work.

He said a traffic detour had also been designed and was awaiting an executive order by Mayor Steve Noble. Swenson said the detour would be for just one lane of traffic on a portion of Washington Avenue. He said the blocked lane would be used for equipment during the grout removal project.

The mayor also has to sign a notice to proceed, after which initial tunnel entry could take place this week, Swenson said.

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“Construction probably the following week, which means the detour would need to be in place at that time,” Swenson said.

The grout blockage occurred last fall during repair of the sinkhole that first opened on Washington Avenue in April 2011. During the sinkhole repair, a new lining was installed in a portion of the existing sewer pipe. Part of that lining was damaged and collapsed during the grouting process that followed, allowing the grout to partially fill the tunnel and block the flow along a section of the city’s sanitary sewer system on Washington Avenue.

The city has been using a rented pump to bypass the blocked section of the system.

Earlier this year, the city notified the insurance company and contractor involved in the repair that it would pursue a claim as a result of the grouting problem.

To pay for the grout removal work, the city’s Common Council last month adopted a resolution authorizing Kingston to borrow $1.1 million. The work will be performed by Arold Construction Co. of Kingston, which was the sole bidder on the project.

Arold’s base bid was $833,250, but it included a provision for an additional $30,000 payment if the company had to use a second method to remove the grout.

The $1.1 million in funding would cover the costs of the repairs, as well as any unanticipated expenses. It also would be used to pay Clark Patterson Lee $90,000 for construction administration and observation services during the repair.

Clark Patterson Lee designed the project that Arold bid on.

Last Nov. 2, the Common Council voted to borrow $150,000 for design of the project to remove the grout blockage, as well as to fund ongoing rental fees for the pump being used to bypass the clogged section of the sanitary sewer system.

With the latest authorized borrowing, the city’s costs related to the sinkhole have risen to more than $9 million.

Additional costs could result from a lawsuit filed by neighbors of the sinkhole who say the repair work damaged their homes.